Load-adsorbing device for introducing load forces, in particular cable forces

ABSTRACT

A load-absorbing device for introducing load forces, in particular cable forces in support devices for tent-like coverings and the like, with at least one load-absorbing part ( 9 ) on a supporting structure ( 7 ), is characterized in that the respective load-absorbing part ( 9 ) is provided on a transmission body ( 17 ) which forms, on at least part of its outer surface, a convex transmission surface ( 21 ) which transmits the load forces and which is guided on the supporting structure ( 7 ) on a carrier surface which is formed from concave surface parts adapted adapted to the convexity of the transmission surface ( 21 ), with the result that a load-absorbing node is formed which allows a ball joint-like mobility of the load-absorbing part ( 9 ) relative to the supporting structure ( 7 ).

The invention relates to a load-absorbing device for introducing load forces, in particular cable forces in support systems for tent-like coverings and the like, and that comprises at least one load-absorbing member on a supporting structure.

Modern architecture has increasingly incorporated concepts of load-bearing structures, where planar elements, such as tent-like or umbrella-like coverings that form, as a textile building material, part of a load-bearing structure, are anchored or erected on support systems, for example, steel supports. In order to achieve that the respective elements form space-creating structures of a desired architectural design, the respective suitable introduction of load forces, in particular, the tensioning or bearing cable forces, is a crucial factor. Hence, it must be ensured that the line of action of the cable force that is to be introduced and that acts on the respective support system is independent of the respective orientation (inclination) of the support that is a part of the load-bearing structure in order to avoid distortions of the desired architectural design.

In light of the foregoing, the object of the invention is to provide a load-absorbing device that satisfies, in particular, the associated requirements.

The invention achieves this object with a load-absorbing device which has the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, the load is transferred between the load-absorbing member and the supporting structure by way of a transmission body, which forms, on its outer surface, a convexly curved transmission surface, which is guided on the supporting structure on a support surface, which consists of the concave surface parts, which are adapted to the convexity of the transmission surface, the result is a load-absorbing joint that allows a ball joint-like mobility of the load-absorbing member relative to the supporting structure. This ball joint-like mobility allows the respective load-absorbing member to be adjusted, independently of the respective arrangement of the supporting elements of the support system, where, depending on the configuration of a respective load-bearing structure, it involves steel supports of varying orientation or inclination, as a function of the line of action of the engaging cable forces, so that an optimal anchoring or erecting of the respective tent-like or umbrella-like element is ensured. In this case, the load-absorbing joint could also be secured; and the supporting structure could be moved relative to the joint.

The transmission surface can be formed in an especially advantageous way by at least one part of a spherical surface.

For the interaction with such a transmission surface, the support surface on the supporting structure may be formed by surface parts that circumscribe parts of a spherical cap. The result is an almost torque-free mobility of the respective load-absorbing member around a plurality of pivot axes or axes of rotation.

In especially advantageous embodiments, the supporting structure has a base body, which can be connected to a pole-like support of the support system and at which one of the surface parts, forming the support surface, is formed by a closed partial ring surface on the interior side of a full ring body; and an additional surface part is formed by an approximately half ring-like inner surface of a partial ring, the full ring body and the partial ring forming planes perpendicular to each other.

Preferably, the arrangement is configured in such a way that a spherical body with at least one load-absorbing member, which extends from said spherical body in the radial direction and forms a bracket, is provided as the transmission body, the spherical body being guided on the surface parts of the base body that form the support surface in such a way that the bracket extends in the sector of a circle between the full ring body and the partial ring. Thus, the bracket has a mobility inside the respective spherical quadrants that are situated between the full ring body and the partial ring.

In especially advantageous embodiments, the transmission body has two spherical parts that together form a solid sphere. Each spherical part has a bracket, which extends on the one and on the other side of the partial ring when the solid sphere is guided on the support surface.

If the arrangement is configured in such a way that the spherical parts forming the solid sphere are hemispheres that on engagement with the support surface rest against each other at their equatorial planes, then the brackets can swivel independently of each other around the axis, which runs perpendicularly to the equatorial plane inside their respective spherical quadrant and can jointly execute such motions that correspond to the rotational motions of the solid sphere without lifting of the adjacent equatorial planes of the hemispheres.

Preferably, the arrangement is configured in such a way that the base body of the supporting structure is formed by a circularly round mounting plate, which can be connected to the support. The full ring body and the partial ring extend from the upper side of said mounting plate into respective planes that extend perpendicularly in relation to the plane of the upper side.

Since, in the arrangement of the brackets on the hemispheres in the spherical quadrants adjacent to the interior ring, the cable forces are transferred predominantly by way of the half ring-like inner surface of the partial ring, the arrangement is preferably configured in such a way that the inner surface of the partial ring and the closed partial ring surface of the full ring body merge in the vicinity of the upper side of the mounting plate, the inner surface of the partial ring forming a saddle-like expansion at the transition to the full ring body. Due to this expansion, the support surface is enlarged in the region that has the maximum stress in the given arrangement of the brackets, that is, at the base region of the inner surface in the vicinity of the mounting plate, so that the pressure per unit of area is reduced in the critical region.

The invention is explained in detail below by means of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a highly simplified schematic drawing of a perspective view of a detail of a conventional load-absorbing device of a supporting structure for a tent-like covering;

FIG. 2 is a perspective oblique view of an exemplary embodiment of the inventive load-absorbing device that is decreased in size by about a factor of 3 with respect to a practical embodiment;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of the exemplary embodiment, seen from the one and the other respective opposite side of the device;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the exemplary embodiment along the intersecting line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the intersecting line VII-VII of FIG. 6, wherein only the supporting structure without the transmission body therein is shown;

FIG. 8 is also a perspective oblique view of only the supporting structure without the transmission body; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective oblique view of only those parts of the transmission body with the assigned cable connectors in a drawing depicting the disassembled state.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional load-absorbing device for erecting a tent-like covering I made of a textile material on a part of a support system 3, forming the load-bearing structure, with a two-strut steel support 5. In order to enable the load to be absorbed along the different lines of action of the engaging cable forces, as a result of the different orientations and inclinations of the steel supports 5 of a load-bearing structure, the supporting structure 7, with which the load-absorbing members engage in the form of brackets 9, is connected to the support system 3 by means of additional brackets 11 in order to form a respective moveable connection that can cope with the different lines of action of the cable forces. Such an offset arrangement of the supporting structure 7 is disadvantageous both from the viewpoint of ease of assembly and also with respect to the desired aesthetic effect in terms of an attractive high-end design concept for load-bearing structures.

The inventive load-absorbing device that is depicted in FIGS. 2 to 9 offers the sought-for mobility of the load-absorbing members in a supporting structure 7 that is mounted directly on the support system. In the exemplary embodiment that shall be described at this point, said supporting structure has a metal base body 13, which can be connected directly to the support system 3, for example, a steel support. The base body has the shape of a circularly round mounting plate with a flat upper side 15. The base body 13 can be screwed or welded to the respective steel support (not illustrated) or another supporting structural element.

FIGS. 2 to 6 show a two-part transmission body in its functional position that it occupies inside the supporting structure 7. This transmission body has load-absorbing members that are situated on said transmission body and that correspond to the brackets 9 in FIG. 1. The transmission body consists of two identically constructed metal hemispheres 17, a feature that will be explained in detail below. When these hemispheres rest against each other at their equatorial planes 19, these hemispheres form a solid sphere, as can be seen the best in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6. In conformity with their spherical shape, the hemispheres 17 form the transmission surface 21 for the force transfer. This transmission surface consists of two parts of a whole spherical surface. For the interaction with the convex transmission surface, that is, the spherical transmission surface 21 in the illustrated embodiment, the supporting structure 7 has a support surface consisting of concave surface parts that circumscribe parts of a spherical cap in the illustrated embodiment. These surface parts are formed, on the one hand, by a self-contained partial ring surface 23 on the interior side of a full ring body 25 and, on the other hand, by a half ring-like inner surface 27 of a partial ring 29. The full ring body 25 and the partial ring 29 are metallic bodies that are welded or screwed to the upper side 15 of the base body 13 or are constructed as one piece with the base body 13, the full ring body 25 and the partial ring 29 forming planes perpendicular to each other.

It is especially apparent from FIGS. 2 to 5 that in the functional position the solid sphere composed of the hemispheres 17 is accommodated in the supporting structure 7 on the surface parts 23, 27 which form the support surface, of the full ring body 25 and of the partial ring 29 in such a way that in each case one bracket 9 is located on each side of the partial ring 29. In this arrangement, the transmission body, formed by the hemispheres 17, is held in engagement with the surface parts forming the support surface, that is, with the partial ring surface 23 of the full ring body 25 and the inner surface 27 of the partial ring 29, by the cable forces inside the supporting structure 7. In conformity with the direction of action of the cable forces that are introduced via the brackets 9 which extend away from the hemispheres 17 next to the partial ring 29, the force is transferred predominantly over the surface part of the support surface that is formed by the inner surface 27 of the partial ring 29; and chiefly in the region in which the inner surface 27 of the partial ring 29 in the region of the upper side 15 of the base body 13 passes over into the partial ring surface 23 on the interior side of the full ring body 25. This transition region can be seen the best in FIGS. 7 and 8. As illustrated, the partial ring 29 in this transition region forms a saddle-like expansion 39 of the inner surface 27, as a result of which the support surface is noticeably enlarged in the critical transmission region, so that the pressure per unit of area is low under stress. For the swivel mobility of the hemispheres 17, the results are good friction conditions wider load, so that a ball joint-like swivel mobility at low torque is enabled.

FIG. 9 shows the connection between the supporting or tensioning cables (not illustrated) that are mounted on the hemispheres 17 by means of cable connectors 41, which extend over the assigned bracket 9 with forked cable eyes and are secured in a swivelable manner on said brackets by means of flange bolts 43. The bolts 43 are axially secured in the conventional manner by means of washers 45 and locking screws 47.

In the illustrated arrangement, the brackets 9 can be moved independently of each other inside the spherical quadrants stretching between the full ring body 25 and the partial ring 29, insofar as a rotation around an axis perpendicular to the equatorial planes 19 occurs. In addition and to some extent together, the brackets 9 can perform in relation to the supporting structure 7 such movements that take place without lifting the equatorial planes 19.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the equatorial planes 19 have smooth surfaces. As an alternative, there could be concentric, intermeshing structures that are recessed in the plane and project from the plane. In the event that these equatorial planes 19 rest against each other, these structures mesh, but prevent the rotational mobility around the axis perpendicular to the equatorial plane 19.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the transmission body and the support surface of the supporting structure are spherical. It is self-evident that, instead of a purely spherical shape with transmission surfaces 21 that are constructed as a spherical surface, it is possible to have a convex curvature that departs from the spherical shape. The concavely curved shape of the partial ring surface 23 and the inner surface 27 on the full ring body 25 or the partial ring 29 of the supporting structure 7 is adapted to this convex curvature, assuming that the convex and concave curvature allows the desired swivel and rotational mobility of the load-absorbing members, that is, the brackets 9, relative to the supporting structure 7. 

1. A load-absorbing device for introducing load forces, in particular cable forces in support systems (3) for tent-like coverings (1) and the like, and that comprises at least one load-absorbing member (9) on a supporting structure (7), characterized in that the respective load-absorbing member (9) is provided on a transmission body (17), which forms on at least one part of its external surface a convex transmission surface (21), which transfers the load forces and that is guided on the supporting structure (7) on a support surface (23, 27), which consists of concave surface parts (23, 27), which are adapted to the convexity of the transmission surface (21), so that a load-absorbing joint is formed that enables a ball joint-like mobility of the load-absorbing member (9) relative to the supporting structure (7).
 2. The load-absorbing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission surface is formed by at least one part of a spherical surface (21).
 3. The load-absorbing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the support surface on the supporting structure is formed by surface parts (23, 27) that circumscribe parts of a spherical cap.
 4. The load-absorbing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the supporting structure (7) has a base body (13), which can be connected to a pole-like support (5) of the support system (3) and at which one of the surface parts, forming the support surface, is formed by a closed partial ring surface (23) on the interior side of a full ring body (25); and an additional surface part is formed by an approximately half ring-like inner surface (27) of a partial ring (29), and that the full ring body (25) and the partial ring (29) form planes perpendicular to each other.
 5. The load-absorbing device according to claim 4, characterized in that a spherical body (17) with at least one load-absorbing member, which extends from said spherical body in the radial direction and forms a bracket (9), is provided as the transmission body; and that the spherical body (17) is guided on the surface parts (23, 27), forming the support surface, of the base body (13) in such a way that the bracket (9) extends in the sector of a circle between the full ring body (25) and the partial ring (29).
 6. The load-absorbing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the transmission body has two spherical parts (17) that together form a solid sphere; and that each spherical part has a bracket (9), which extends on the one and on the other side of the partial ring (29) when the solid sphere is guided on the support surface.
 7. The load-absorbing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the spherical parts forming the solid sphere are hemispheres (17) that on engagement with the support surface (23, 27) rest against each other at their equatorial planes (19).
 8. The load-absorbing device according to one of the claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the base body is formed by a circularly round mounting plate (13), which can be connected to the support (5); and that the full ring body (25) and the partial ring (29) extend from the planar upper side (15) of said mounting plate into respective planes that are perpendicular to the plane of the upper side (15).
 9. The load-absorbing device according to claim 8, characterized in that the inner surface (27) of the partial ring (29) and the closed partial ring surface (23) of the full ring body (25) merge in the vicinity of the upper side (15) of the mounting plate (13); and that the inner surface (27) of the partial ring (29) forms a saddle-like expansion (39) at the transition to the full ring body (25). 